This document records the HRB’s Centre for Health and Diet Research (HRB CHDR) commitment to an Open Access policy and outlines how it implements that policy.

HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research

The HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research is a leading research hub in public health nutrition that focuses on promoting the health and wellbeing of the Irish population. Its purpose is to inform public policy, health promotion, clinical practice and citizens on the prevention and...

Hypertension is the most common modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and contributes to more than nine million deaths annually.1,2 Favourable secular trends in population blood pressure (BP) levels have been reported in many developed countries.2 In Ireland, favourable trends in population BP levels have contributed to 28% reduction in coronary heart disease deaths over the past two decades.3 In a modelling study, we have demonstrated that improving specific food choices (i...

We investigated the hypothesis that mode of delivery affects childhood behavior and motor development and examined whether there are sex-specific associations, i.e., whether males and females have different risk estimates.

METHODS:

Families with infants born between December 2007 and May 2008 (N = 11,134) were randomly selected and recruited to the Growing Up in Ireland study. Mode of delivery was classified into spontaneous vaginal delivery; instrumental vaginal delivery; em...

It is anticipated that demands on ambulatory HIV services will increase in coming years as a consequence of the increased life expectancy of HIV patients on highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Accurate cost data are needed to enable evidence based policy decisions be made about new models of service delivery, new technologies and new medications.

METHODS:

A micro-costing study was carried out in an HIV outpatient clinic in a single regional centre in the south o...

Abstract
Background:
The recent economic recession has been associated with short-term increases in suicide in many countries. Data are lacking on the longer-term effect on sui- cide and on the impact on non-fatal suicidal behaviour.
Methods:

Using interrupted time series analyses, we have assessed the impact of economic recession and austerity in Ireland on national rates of suicide mortality and self-harm presentations to hospital in 2008–12.
Results:

Blood pressure variability (BPV) has been associated with cardiovascular events; however, the prognostic significance of short-term BPV remains uncertain. As uncertainty also remains as to which measure of variability most accurately describes short-term BPV, this study explores different indices and investigates their relationship with subclinical target organ damage (TOD). We used data from the Mitchelstown Study, a cross-sectional study of Irish adults aged 47–73 years (n=2047). A subsampl...

Objectives: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide continues to compromise population health and creates a wider societal cost in terms of productivity loss and premature mortality. Despite extensive international literature on the cost of overweight and obesity, findings are inconsistent between Europe and the USA, and particularly within Europe. Studies vary on issues of focus, specific costs and methods. This study aims to estimate the healthcare and productivity cos...

Flu vaccination is recommended annually for high risk groups. However, in Ireland, free access to vaccination is not universal for those in high risk groups; the vaccine and consultation are only free for those with a medical card, a means tested scheme. Few private health insurance policies cover the cost of attendance for vaccination in general practice.

The aim was to examine the influence of this reimbursement policy on vaccination coverage among older a...